Many injection molding molds are provided with replaceable inserts (e.g., cores or the like) which permit changing certain mold cavity detail(s) without replacing the entire mold. Hence, the use of inserts can reduce the number of individual molds required for molding a family of similar parts as well as reduce the handling and storage requirements for such extraneous molds. Heretofore replacement or exchanging of the inserts has been unnecessarily cumbersome and time consuming. In this regard, some mold designs (e.g., see mold member 2 of FIG. 1) have required that the mold be completely removed from the molding machine to effect replacement of the insert. Other mold designs (e.g., see mold member 4 of FIG. 1) do not require that the mold be removed from the molding machine but require: (1) the use of a molding machine which has a clamping section which can open wide enough to permit the operator to work on the insert via the mold cavity; and (2) additional manipulations in order to isolate the insert's retainer (i.e., mounting bolt) from the mold cavity, lest it's presence affect the molding operation.
It is an object of the present invention to provide the molding cavity of an injection molding mold with a replaceable insert which is readily accessible and releasable through a sidewall of the mold without removing the mold from the machine or the need for isolating the insert's retainer from the mold cavity. It is another object of the present invention to provide such an insert with a retainer which engages the insert via a passage through a sidewall of the mold and so as to cam the insert tightly into place in the mold. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide such insert with a retainer which serves not only to anchor the insert within the mold but also to free the insert from the mold at replacement time. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description thereof which follows.